Kanye West Apologizes for Antisemitic Remarks and Blames Bipolar Disorder in WSJ Ad: ‘I Lost Touch with Reality’

After years of erratic public behavior and antisemitic remarks, Kanye West has issued a new apology.

The rapper and businessman, 48, published an open letter titled “To Those I’ve Hurt” as a full-page advertisement paid for by his Yeezy brand in the Monday, Jan. 26 edition of The Wall Street Journal. In the letter, West linked his past behavior to bipolar disorder, saying it contributed to what he described as a spiral into antisemitism.

West opened by referencing a 2002 car accident that, he wrote, “broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain.” He claimed the internal neurological damage went undetected until 2023, and said that oversight “caused serious damage to my mental health” and preceded his bipolar type-1 diagnosis.

He described living with bipolar disorder and said the condition pushed him into periods of mania that he did not recognize at the time. “You think everyone else is overreacting,” he wrote. “You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely.”

In recent years, West has made repeated antisemitic statements targeting Jewish people. Adidas ended its partnership with Yeezy in 2022 after West threatened to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”

West was sued in 2025 by a former Yeezy employee who alleged he compared himself to Hitler, threatened her because she was Jewish, and fired her a day after she reported his alleged conduct to a supervisor. In September, a court ordered West to pay more than $76,000 in the employee’s legal fees, though the broader case remains on hold.

Also in 2025, West defended Sean “Diddy” Combs (currently in prison after being convicted on two prostitution-related charges in July) and posted a slur-filled rant on X that praised Adolf Hitler. He was later dropped by his talent agent, Daniel McCartney of 33&West.

In the letter, West addressed being labeled “crazy” and said he felt he could no longer “contribute anything meaningful to the world,” describing how people “joke and laugh” about the condition. He cited research from the World Health Organization and Cambridge University that he said shows people with bipolar disorder have a shorter life expectancy than the general population, underscoring what he called the seriousness of the illness.

He wrote that the disorder also fueled a sense that he did not need help—believing he was “powerful” and “unstoppable.”

“I lost touch with reality,” West wrote. He shares four children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm.

“Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret,” he continued. “Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to love someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”

West said his “fractured state” led him to gravitate “toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika.” He acknowledged previously selling merchandise featuring the symbol, describing it as “poor judgement and reckless behavior,” and said he “cannot recall” many moments from that period due to his bipolar disorder.

“I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change,” West wrote. “It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”

He also addressed the Black community, which he said supported him “through all of the highs and lows and the darkest of times.” Calling the community “the foundation of who I am,” he apologized for disappointing people. “I love us,” he wrote.

West described a four-month stretch in 2025 that he characterized as a “long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life,” adding that he felt suicidal at times. He said his condition arrives in episodes and credited his wife, Bianca Censori, with encouraging him to seek help after he said he hit “rock bottom.”

He added that he found support in Reddit forums, where he read about others living with bipolar disorder and said it made him feel less alone.

“My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that,” West wrote. He said he is now following “an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise, and clean living,” and that he feels a sense of “much-needed clarity.”

“I am pouring my energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world,” he continued.

“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness,” West concluded. “I write today simply to ask for your patience and understanding as I find my way home.”